1. Introduction to Criminal Behavior
CHAPTER 1
Introduction to Criminal Behavior

2. Criminal Behavior
Intentional behavior that violates a criminal code, intentional in that it did not occur accidentally or without justification or excuse
Vastly complex
No all-encompassing psychological explanation for crime

3. The Study of Criminal Behavior
Should we restrict ourselves to a legal definition and study only those individuals who have been convicted of behaviors legally defined as crime?
Should we include individuals who indulge in antisocial behaviors but have not been detected by the criminal justice system?
Should we include persons predisposed to be criminal?

4. Theories of Crime
Provide a general explanation of crime that encompasses and systematically connects many different social, economic and psychological variables to criminal behavior
Supported by well-executed research

5. Two Theoretical Perspectives on Crime
Classical Theory
Free will
Decision to violate law is choice
Positivist Theory
Determinism
Criminal behavior is result of social, psychological, biological influences

6. Three Perspectives on Human Nature
Assumption
Conformity
Humans want to do right thing
Nonconformist
Humans undisciplined
Learning
Humans neutral

7. Perspectives on Human Nature Conformity Perspective
Humans basically good and want to live up to their potential, influenced by society’s attitudes and values
Strain theory
Crime occurs when there is perceived discrepancy between materialistic values and goals and available means to reach goals

8. Perspectives on Human Nature Noncomformist Perspective
Humans unruly and undisciplined, need rules and regulations to keep them in check
Social control theory
Crime occurs when one’s ties to standards are weak or nonexistent

9. Perspectives on Human Nature Learning Perspective
Humans learn all behavior and beliefs from the environment
Social learning theory
Rotter, Bandura
Differential association
Sutherland

10. Criminology

11. Sociological Criminology
Examines relationships of demographic and group variables to crime
Focuses on groups and society as a whole and how they influence criminal activity
Racial disparity
Unemployment
Poverty

12. Psychological Criminology
The science of the behavior and mental processes of the person who commits a crime
Focuses on how individual criminal behavior is acquired, evoked, maintained and modified
Offender personality
Offender behavior

13. Psychological criminology Developmental Perspective
Trajectory of Criminal Behavior
Protective Factors
Risk Factors
Dispositions or Traits

14. Psychiatric Criminology
Traditionally followed psychoanalytic tradition
Contemporary is more diverse and research based
Education differences
MD or DO as opposed to Ph.D. Psy.D. or Ed.D

15. Measuring Crime Official police reports Self-report studies
UCR
NIBRS
Self-report studies
ADAM
MFS
NHSDA
Victimization studies
NCVS

16. Measuring Crime Uniform Crime Reporting System (UCR)
Compiled by the FBI
Most cited source of U.S. crime statistics
Federal agencies do not report
Part I and Part II crimes

17. Uniform Crime Reporting Common Part I Crimes
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter
Forcible rape
Robbery
Aggravated assault
Burglary
Larceny-theft
Arson

18. Uniform Crime Reporting Common Part II Crimes
Offenses against the family and children
Sex offenses
Drug abuse violations
Gambling
Vandalism
Simple assaults
Forgery and counterfeiting
Fraud
Embezzlement
Stolen Property

19. Measuring Crime UCR Problems
Hierarchy rule
Reliance on agencies to report crime
Dark figure
Missing information

20. Measuring Crime National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)
All federal law enforcement agencies must collect and report data on two categories
Group A offenses
Group B offenses

21. Group A offenses Group B offenses
Measuring Crime NIBRS
Group A offenses
The crime is viewed along with detailed data about aspects of the crime
Group B offenses
Information about the arrestee and circumstances of the arrest

22. Hate Crimes The FBI definition
A criminal offense committed against a person, property, or society which is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin

23. Hate Crime Legislation

24. Measuring Crime Self-Report Studies
Interviews or questionnaires
Most individuals admit to violating criminal law
Large dark figure
Majority of self-reported crime is minor

25. Measuring Crime Drug Abuse Self-Report Surveys
Data Collection
NHSDA
Computer interviews of individuals over age 12
MFS
Survey of U.S. high schoolers
ADAM
Urinalysis

26. Measuring Crime Victimization Surveys
Extent to which individuals are victim of various crimes
Victims able to describe the impact of crime and characteristics of offenders

27. Measuring Crime National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
Households interviewed every six months for three years
Designed to supplement the UCR
Provides detail about crime and victim
Relationship patterns
Intimate partner violence (IPV)
Homeless not represented

28. Juvenile Delinquency Status offenses Data Imperfect
Behavior not against the criminal code but forbidden to juveniles because of age
Data Imperfect
Nature and extent unknown
Behavior may be regarded as “rite of passage” that stops with maturity

29. Antisocial Behavior
Habitual actions that violate personal rights, laws, and/or widely held social norms
Legal delinquency and criminal behavior
Actions that violate standards of society but undetected by law enforcement

30. Focus of the Text The persistent and repetitive offender
Detected or undetected
The individual who has frequently committed serious crimes or antisocial acts over an extended period of time
The one-time serious offender

31. Conformity perspective Criminal profiling Criminology Dark figure
Chapter 1 Key Concepts
Antisocial behavior
Classical theory
Clearance rate
Cognitions
Conformity perspective
Criminal profiling
Criminology
Dark figure
Developmental approach
Differential association theory
Dispositions
Hate Crime Statistics Act
Hierarchy rule

32. Intimate partner violence Just-world hypothesis Learning perspective
Chapter 1 Key Concepts
Index crimes
Intimate partner violence
Just-world hypothesis
Learning perspective
National Crime Victimization Survey
National Incident- Based Reporting System
Nonconformist perspective
Nonindex crimes
Part I crime
Part II crime

33. Psychiatric criminology Psychological criminology
Chapter 1 Key Concepts
Positivist theory
Psychiatric criminology
Psychological criminology
Social control theory
Social learning theory
Sociological criminology
Status offenses
Strain theory
Theory verification
Traits
Uniform Crime Reporting